Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital who was arrested by the CBI on Monday on graft charges, has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court order to the central agency to probe alleged irregularities at the hospital.

Ghosh, during whose tenure as principal a junior doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar, has assailed the high court order on the ground that it was passed without giving him an opportunity to be heard, which was in violation of the principles of natural justice.

He has further submitted that the high court had, without any valid reasons or material before it, made certain observations linking the August 9 rape and murder to the alleged corruption at the hospital.

The high court had on August 13 taken the investigation into the rape and murder away from Kolkata Police and handed it to the CBI.

On August 23, the high court directed the central agency to take over the investigation into various alleged irregularities, especially financial irregularities, at RG Kar.

The August 23 order was passed following a petition filed by Akhtar Ali, a former deputy superintendent of the hospital. He sought transfer of the probe from a special investigation team set up by the state government to the CBI on the ground that no action had been taken against Ghosh by the state despite his complaint against the former principal.

Ghosh is in CBI custody along with three others arrested for their alleged links with irregularities at RG Kar — Afsar Ali, Biplab Singha and Suman Hazra.

The CBI has registered cases against Ghosh under the Prevention of Corruption Act and various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after questioning him for over 12 days.

The petition moved by Ghosh at the apex court is likely to be taken up by a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud when it will deal with the status reports of the inquiries to be submitted by the CBI.